Recent advances in psychosomatic obstetrics & gynecology in Japan

Japanese Society of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology (JSPOG, established in 1972) currently comprises more than 700 members including obstetricians, gynecologists, physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses and midwives, who are specialized in psychosomatic care and treatment of female patients. This thematic series in BioPsychoSocial Medicine showcases the progress made most recently by the selected scholars of JSPOG. The variety of the topics featured in the series embodies the complexity of the problems Japanese women face today, including premenstrual disorders and school absenteeism, aromatherapy and the autonomic nervous system, women’s mental health in the workplace, natural disaster and maternal mental health, perimenopausal depression and oxidative stress and gender differences in psycho-oncology.

It has been customary for working women in Japan to retire when they marry and to devote themselves to household work as well as having children. However, according to a report published by the Ministry of Int...

The Great East Japan Earthquake occurred at 2:46 p.m. on March 11, 2011. The epicenter was off the coast of Miyagi prefecture, and the magnitude of the earthquake was 9.0 with a maximum seismic intensity of 7....

Oxidative stress is known to be a factor in various diseases. In this study, we investigated whether physical and psychological symptoms of menopause, cardiovascular parameters, body composition, and lifestyle...

Premenstrual disorders such as premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) interfere with the daily lives of adolescents. The causes of PMS and PMDD are unknown, but lifestyle habits...

Cancer care is currently the most important medical issue in Japan. Total pain of cancer patients consists of a combination of four factors: physical, psychological, social distress, and spiritual pain. Previo...